There are plenty of options to choose from when purchasing a turkey. We suggest buying a whole turkey with no added ingredients or flavors. The bones in the whole turkey will keep the meat moist as it cooks. You can add your own favorite flavors through brines, injectors, or rubs.

Make sure that you smoke a thawed turkey. Do not try to cook a frozen turkey.

Remove the neck and giblets usually stored in a package in the body cavity. Rinse turkey thoroughly, inside and out, with cool water. Pat dry with paper towels.

Brining your bird ensures it will be moist as it is delicious. Begin the brining process the day before you plan to cook it.

Remove the turkey from the brine, and rinse in cold water. Be sure to rinse all surfaces of the bird, including the body cavity.

Dry the turkey with a towel, and let it rest for about 12 to 24 hours so that the salt and flavors can really disperse throughout the meat.

Season the brined turkey with a mix of spices and herbs. If you’re smoking a whole turkey, use a dry rub in the cavity and a wet rub on the outside. The wet rub will stick to the meat better and it will help moisture retention.

HOT TIP: For the wet rub, mix vegetable oil and seasonings into a thick paste. You want the rub to get under the skin of the breast, so gently separate the skin from the meat and massage the rub under the skin. Don’t completely remove the skin from the bird. When you’ve completely rubbed the meat, use toothpicks to hold the skin on the turkey. Take any remaining rub and coat the outside of the bird.

Preheat your electric smoker to 225°F.

HOT TIP: Oil the grate to prevent the turkey from sticking.

Add your turkey, and insert a temperature probe into the breast.

If you have a Char-Broil Digital Electric Smoker, set the desired internal temperature to 160°F, and your smoker will automatically turn on warm mode when the turkey has reached the desired temperature. Otherwise, keep a close eye on your turkey temperature so that you don’t over cook and dry out your turkey. Calculate about 30 to 40 minutes per pound.

HOT TIP: Baste the turkey with a little vegetable oil or melted butter a few times during the cook to keep it moist.

Turkey tends to absorb smoke easier than red meat, so use mild woods. Apple and cherry woods have a sweet taste that compliments turkey well.

Hickory and mesquite are heavier woods that can quickly overpower a turkey, but if you blend about 1/4 of the heavier flavored wood with 3/4 milder wood, you can offset the strong hickory or mesquite flavor.

To spatchcock a turkey, cut out the spine and loosen, or remove, the breastbone to make the turkey lay flat.

HOT TIP: There are two benefits to spatchcocking the turkey. The turkey will absorb more smoke because there is more surface area. The turkey will cook faster than a whole turkey because the bird is about the same thickness throughout.